Seems like most of the Nain based teams made it out to Hopedale for the annual RCMP volleyball tournament. Usually there would be a caravan of ski doos taking them, this year due to bad ice conditions most went by plane, smart move.

The rest of us are hunkered down waiting for the big snow fall, up to 30 or 40 cm is predicted.

There is a contingent of union people in town waiting on the MV Umiak arrival into Voisey’s Bay.

The Umiak is going into Edwards Cove to load concentrate produced by non union members during a strike, I think ‘scabs’ is the term used by union members in describing workers partaking in this type of union busting.

The plan is for local and outside union members to go out and put themselves in front of the vessel in hopes that it will stop its forward motion.

I am not sure that this is a good idea or not the ice being the way it is.There is a somewhat bizarre interview with one of the union organizers here. Click on story of April 8.

Still many local union members have not been in a “solidarity’ mode during this long strike having taken other jobs. Maybe they feel obligated to become more involved with their so called brothers and sisters.[I am not being judgmental,just pointing out the facts].

There may be mitigating factors forcing them to abandon their co workers fight, but if and when the strike is over and if there are any concessions and advances earned then will they have their hands out?

I did not catch the full interview that CKOK did with the president of NG on this issue, just the tail end. The president seems to hold the union accountable if any harm comes to anybody if people do decide to go out on the ice.

Actually I think that NG should hold the bag for some of the blame as they had the power to stop the Umiak from doing this trip. It is outside the agreed upon winter shipping season.

On Monday evening, 7 to 9 in the NG board room, there will be a sea ice knowledge and use information session put on by linguistics studies person Paul Pigott.

For anybody wondering how many Inuttitut terms there are to describe sea ice and snow and general weather then this is a great opportunity to learn something.

UPDATE: 6:30 in the PM, regular trips out to the dish to brush snow off, the Masters is on, bloody storm. Added to that there was a power spike just now, not looking good for the night, hope the hydro guys have their gear on ready to go out.